THE MILITARY WRITINGS OF LEON TROTSKY
Volume 3: 1920

Various Subjects

Order to the Red Army

August 7, 1919, No.140, Konotop

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While armoured train No.26 was standing in Konotop station it distinguished itself by the disgraceful foul language used by its crew. Unrestrained by the fact that civilians, women and children were present in the station, the soldiers of this armoured train poisoned the air with their disgusting curses, lacking sense or purpose. Train No.26 bears the lofty title of ‘Bolshevik’, which means ‘fighter for the interests of the people’. I consider that a Red warrior, as a fighter for lofty aims, should behave on an armoured train as befits a place of lofty service, and not as though he is in a low tavern. Foul language degrades human dignity, causes a man to lose the habit of intelligent speech, to cease to think, and thereby weakens his will to fight. It is the duty of commanders and commissars to exclude from the life of the Red Army those disgraceful expressions which no other country possesses, and to employ all means to promote the establishment of proper forms of speech and comradely relations.